New naming strategy isn’t that big of a deal

Beginning in 2019, Buick will stop using its brand plate on the tailgate of its vehicles, leaving just the model’s name and the brand’s Tri-Shield logo as the only identifiers of the same model. Word of Buick’s plans first came to the surface after the debut of the 2019 Buick Envision showed a noticeable absence in the company’s usual exterior identifiers. The model name and the badge were present, but the “Buick” brand plate was nowhere to be found. As it turns out, this is all part of a new strategy that Buick will be implementing by next year.

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The company’s new tri-color shield logo and the nameplate badges of all its models will remain.

While it is commendable for Buick to adopt a more subtle naming strategy, this is one of those things that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. So what if Buick is going to stop using its spelled-out name as a badge. It’s not like that decision would have far-reaching ramifications for future customers. Besides, the company’s new tri-color shield logo and the nameplate badges of all its models will remain. Nobody is going to confuse the Envision for the Encore.

For their own reasons, Volkswagen, Audi, and even Hyundai have stopped using their brand names on their models, too.

To be clear, Buick isn’t the only automaker that’s adopted this approach. For their own reasons, Volkswagen, Audi, and even Hyundai have stopped using their brand names on their models. All three automakers largely rely on their logos to identify their models. Buick isn’t venturing into a new frontier with this decision. If anything, it’s following what a lot of other companies have already done.

That’s not to say that it’s a bad thing, though. Buick is well within its rights to make decisions that it believes will be best for its brand. That includes deciding to keep using its nameplate badge on future models. It’s unclear exactly how much it’s going to affect sales numbers of models in its portfolio, but it does offer something that’s still relatively new in the auto industry.

A Buick model without a Buick nameplate badge in the rear? That’s something we’re going to have to get used to moving forward.